You have kept us busy. Although that is probably an understatement. With the launch of patch 2.51 and Gold Saucer, our servers showed herculean strength under your immense desire for a game of Triple Triad and some Chocobo racing. Then, the pre-orders for the boxed Heavensward versions started, and darn did you want to pre-order. That was a very exciting couple of days.

But the most exciting time is yet to come! With Heavensward less than three months away, we finally present you with both an end and a new beginning. In patch 2.55, you will finally learn the conclusion to the A Realm Reborn storyline – or will you…? Get prepared for your new journey into the unknown!

There be Dragons

There is a war going on, and you’re right at the brink – your introduction to the millennia-lasting Dragonsong War will be all but gentle.

Make Contact

The Holy See of Ishgard has been isolated from the rest of Eorzea for a long time. Make contact with this fabled city-state – laying the foundation for your adventures in Heavensward!

Prepare Yourself

With less than three months left, take advantage of the addition of the Final Coil of Bahamut to the Duty Finder and the removal of the weekly limit on rewards in the World of Darkness to prepare yourself for the challenges to come. But most importantly, complete the brand new story quest “Before the Dawn” introduced in patch 2.55, to get immediate access to Heavensward content and head out to the fabled Ishgard right on release!

Get Early Access to Heavensward

You want to walk into the unknown ahead of the official release? Then pre-order your boxed copy now at the Square Enix store! Of course we’re also working on making digital pre-orders available on the PSN Store as soon as possible.

So many things to do, and I’m not even sure I can go cold turkey and leave the Gold Saucer! It’s just so cozy and warm, and the next Cactpot ticket might be my big break!

See you in-game!

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/03/31/ffxiv-patch-2-55-now-live-prepare-for-heavensward/feed/9http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ffxiv255.jpg4.09Community Project Manager, Square Enix90Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Out June 23rd, New Detailshttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/03/07/final-fantasy-xiv-heavensward-out-june-23rd-new-details/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/03/07/final-fantasy-xiv-heavensward-out-june-23rd-new-details/#commentsSat, 07 Mar 2015 18:05:24 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=150983With millions of subscribers and an ever-growing world of content to explore, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has struck a chord with the larger MMO community — and it shows no signs of relenting. In fact, Square Enix revealed today that its upcoming expansion, Heavensward, will debut on June 23rd of this year. It will introduce massive new zones, flying mounts, three new jobs and more to the already staggering Eorzean landscape.

During the Game Developers Conference earlier this week, my colleague Ryan Clements and I spoke with Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida about his tireless work on Final Fantasy XIV. Of course, we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to ask for new details pertaining to the upcoming Heavensward expansion.

Yoshida, with his immaculately styled hair and impressive collection of metal rings, exudes a calm, confident air, despite the tremendous expectations placed upon him and his team.

Heavensward promises to add an incredible amount of new content to Final Fantasy XIV, but Yoshida notes that none of the FFXIV team members are dedicated to work solely on this new expansion. While developing Heavensward, the team has also been working to implement new content into the existing FFXIV experience — including the fan-favorite Gold Saucer and Triple Triad, a fully featured deck-building card game that hearkens back to Final Fantasy VIII and is playable across Eorzea with NPCs and other players alike.

“The thought of pushing Gold Saucer back to Heavensward never crossed my mind.”

It was a conscious decision to add lots of new content, including Gold Saucer, near the end of the FFXIV 2.X storyline, to make sure players have plenty to do until Heavensward launches.

“Gold Saucer was always part of the 2.X roadmap. It was always part of A Realm Reborn,” Yoshida explains. “The thought of pushing it back until Heavensward never crossed my mind.”

Zones in Final Fantasy XIV are already huge — they’re designed to fit within 2km by 2km boundaries — but there are new scenarios to consider since Heavensward will introduce flying mounts (including flying chocobos and single-rider airships) for the first time. Flying mounts will get you around approximately three times faster than ground-based mounts, but Yoshida’s team is making sure to include surprising elements and discoveries within each zone to keep players exploring.

Yoshida estimates that there will be around 1.5 times as much area to explore in Heavensward’s new zones — while there may be fewer zones, there will end up being just as much traversable area in Heavensward at launch as in A Realm Reborn.

Final Fantasy XIV recently celebrated the milestone of four million registered accounts, but this success isn’t changing the team’s plans:

“The number of subscriptions doesn’t necessarily affect the development of the game, since the number of people who can enter a certain zone or server is limited,” says Yoshida. “There may be opportunities to increase the number of servers to accommodate more players, but the content itself isn’t affected by the number of people playing.”

He went on to explain that the development team is conscious of a gap between newer players and FFXIV veterans, and that they continue to look for ways to bridge content and help new Eorzeans transition into high-level content, eventually becoming veterans themselves.

“One advantage of having more players subscribe is more revenue,” he continued, “not only for Square Enix but for us to put back into the game. By having more players join us, we can feed that back into polishing the quality of your gameplay experience.”

Yoshida-san himself is an MMO veteran, and this has informed certain aspects of FFXIV’s design. An early inspiration was Ultima Online, which first opened his mind to the idea of players across the globe gathering in a virtual world to play together. The concept of PKs and PKKs also illustrated that while cooperation is fun, fighting against other players can be fun as well.

Yoshida has taken a particularly close look at large-scale PvP in other MMOs, like World of Warcraft’s Horde vs. Alliance scenario and Dark Age of Camelot’s Realm vs. Realm. He specifically wanted to avoid situations in which one group would have a distinct advantage over another, hence FFXIV’s Frontlines mode that sees three Grand Companies competing against one another.

Other MMO influences include public events from Warhammer, which saw further refinement in Guild Wars’ dynamic events. When they wanted to incorporate this kind of system into A Realm Reborn, Yoshida relayed to the dev team that they should have spontaneous live events that involve players who happen to be nearby. This eventually became the F.A.T.E. system, now a staple for FFXIV players of all levels.

Final Fantasy XIV features hours and hours of original content, but it’s not afraid to borrow from the series’ rich history, either.

“What we strive to achieve with FFXIV is like a Final Fantasy series theme park,” says Yoshida. “You have original attractions that have to be good, but we also want to incorporate elements that Final Fantasy players from any generation will recognize and be attracted to.”

The team is conscious of the series passionate fan base though, and they’re careful to respect any source material they implement into FFXIV:

“The relationship between Cloud and Sephiroth, for example, is very iconic to Final Fantasy fans. If we were to depict that in FFXIV, there’s a risk that Final Fantasy VII fans might see it and be shocked to see these characters behaving differently than they might have imagined. We don’t want to modify these characters’ stories — players have a strong affinity with them, and we want to respect that.”

“…like a Final Fantasy theme park.”

Of course, the breadth of the Final Fantasy universe isn’t to be underestimated, and Yoshida doesn’t expect that he’ll run out of content to nod to in FFXIV:

“You might have noticed the Floating Continent in Heavensward, and I’ve always wanted to go to the moon (like in Final Fantasy IV). There are still many classic elements from Final Fantasy that we can incorporate, and we want to continue blending them into FFXIV for fans to enjoy.”

I seized this opportunity to request that Yoshida-san and team let us fight Kefka in the future. Everyone in the room laughed, which I hope means they’ll consider it!

Questions abound regarding how the new jobs in Heavensward will be implemented, since they don’t require a base class. Yoshida added some clarity when we asked for more details:

“We were actually recently deciding what to call these jobs that don’t have a base class, and we’ve decided to call them ‘Extra Jobs.’ Just like when you can switch to different jobs when you’re at level 30, that applies to these as well. As long as any class or job is at level 30, you’ll be able to access any of these three new jobs.”

Before meeting with Yoshida-san, we put out a call for questions on Twitter, and you responded in kind — thank you! Your questions, and Yoshida’s replies, follow:

@PlayStation Will we have to finish the main campaign or reach a certain level to access Heavensward's main content?

Editor’s Note: After publishing this story, we received clarification from Square Enix for this question. The updated answer follows, but we’ve left the original answer in the story for transparency’s sake.

Naoki Yoshida: You will have to already own A Realm Reborn, plus complete all of the main story quests up through Patch 2.55. After that, an introductory quest for Heavensward will become available; accepting that quest will then guide you through the gates of Ishgard. All of the job quests related to the new jobs will be in Ishgard as well, so the condition to access those will be the same. If a player had stopped playing around Patch 2.2 or 2.3, it would be best to revisit the A Realm Reborn main story quests to get back into the groove as you head towards Heavensward!

Original Answer: If you already own A Realm Reborn and you get Heavensward, you’ll be able to at least enter Ishgard. The new jobs added in Heavensward are not tied to the main story, so those are accessible as well. In terms of the story, if you want to enjoy the Heavensward story arc, since it’s tied to the upcoming 2.55 patch, it’s a prerequisite to have finished that content. If a player had stopped playing around patch 2.2 or 2.3, I’d recommend choosing one of the new jobs and leveling that up while catching up on the story, then transitioning into Heavensward.

@PlayStation What changes are going to be made to existing jobs? When can we expect the promised Benchmark? #FFXIV

Yoshida: It’s tricky to say, but there will be changes applied to each job. One common change is that the job quest will continue from where it left off starting around level 52, so you’ll obtain new skills, spells and weapon skills. So when you go into combat you’ll have a wider range of selection in what kinds of actions you can take during battle. For example, if you play as a DPS job and you learn a new skill or spell, you can implement that into the command set you have built, or build a new one from scratch and strategize how you can apply these new skills. With some of the boss characters in Heavensward, you actually can’t fight them using your older skills — they might require you to know new skills that are only available after the level cap has been raised. This will create an opportunity for players to get together with the community to strategize how to beat these monsters. It’s safe to assume that you’ll be experiencing a new gameplay experience with the raising of the level cap.

@PlayStation Will we see Ishgardians playing TT? Or will it be mostly traders/secretive in the areas since it's an "outsider" game? :D

Yoshida: It depends on how much dev time we allocate. In terms of Triple Triad, there will be 20 additional cards added in 3.0. Perhaps somebody in Ishgard is playing Triple Triad. Everyone’s been so focused on Triple Triad and Chocobo Racing that nobody’s doing the Hunt anymore!

Yoshida: I participated and could have won first place… but I came in fifth. I was actually working that day, but rushed home to check the numbers thinking “I’m gonna win the jackpot!” but it turned out to be fifth place. But the winning numbers vary with each world. Only the Twelve know…

Quotations provided through an on-site translator. They have been edited for brevity and clarity.

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/03/07/final-fantasy-xiv-heavensward-out-june-23rd-new-details/feed/126http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/heavensward.jpg3.36SCEA Social Media Specialist1266Dragon Quest Heroes Coming to PS4 in 2015http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/02/25/dragon-quest-heroes-coming-to-ps4-in-2015/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/02/25/dragon-quest-heroes-coming-to-ps4-in-2015/#commentsWed, 25 Feb 2015 14:01:06 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=150450Hi there, PlayStation.Blog readers! Dragon Quest Heroes launches in Japan tomorrow, so I thought now would be a good time to share an exciting announcement with you all — Dragon Quest Heroes is officially coming to the West!

That’s right! You read that correctly, the announcement is real — Dragon Quest Heroes will be coming out in North America in 2015, exclusively for PS4, and will be available as both a boxed retail release and digital download via PlayStation Store.

Dragon Quest Heroes marks the first time the series will be a full scale action-RPG, and it’s a ton of fun.

So here’s a little bit about the game itself. In Dragon Quest Heroes, the protagonists must rise up against insurmountable odds, challenging swarms of enemies and conquering gigantic monsters in an exhilarating action game. Filled with characters and monsters designed by world-renowned artist Akira Toriyama, Dragon Quest Heroes is brought to PS4 in beautiful HD.

Both Yuji Horii, the general director and creator of Dragon Quest, and Koichi Sugiyama, the composer closely tied to the series since its first installment, are closely involved in bringing this title to life.

Furthermore, ω-Force (Omega Force) from KOEI TECMO, the team that has created numerous popular action game series, is taking part in its development.
Dragon Quest Heroes is a game that Dragon Quest fans and gamers with all kinds of interests will enjoy.

We’ll have loads more details in the coming months, so be on the lookout for those updates. We hope you guys are as happy and hyped about this as we are!

FFXIV Community Manager Matt “Bayohne” Hilton here once more to give PlayStation Blog readers a look at the latest from Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn!

We’ve just released Patch 2.51 with one of the most sought-after additions to the game since its announcement – the Manderville Gold Saucer! Fans of Final Fantasy VII will instantly feel at home within the walls of the Gold Saucer which has got a ton of great activities for you to spend your time on.

Chocobo Racing and Raising

Breed, raise and race your own personal racing chocobo! As you race and train your chocobo, you’ll learn new abilities and when it’s time for them to retire, you can breed them and have a chance to pass those skills to their offspring.

When you’re on the track, you’re in complete control of your bird! Avoid detrimental effects, while aiming for positive effects like speed boosts! You’ll also be able to grab items and use them during the race! It’s your bird vs. seven others so make sure you come out first!

Triple Triad

The popular card mini-game from Final Fantasy VIII makes its debut in Final Fantasy XIV! Challenge NPCs, your friends, and fiercest rivals in a bid to be the master of cards! There are 80 cards to collect at launch, with some being extremely challenging to win! There are even Triple Triad tournaments you can participate in! You can earn some cards by doing other activities in the game… I’ll give you a hint: you may want to challenge some of the primals once you begin hunting for cards for your deck!

Mini Games

We have four unique mini-games for you to participate in while visiting the Gold Saucer. They are timing based and feature a new user interface that will test your reflexes! The “Monster Toss” (basketball shooting game) is my favorite, but it sure is tough to try and sink all the shots. We also have our own version of the popular crane-style mini-game called “The Moogle’s Paw!” These are a great way to earn some Manderville Gold Saucer Points (MGP) to spend on prizes at the Gold Saucer!

GATEs (Gold Saucer Active Time Events)

Similar to the random Full Active Time Events (FATEs) found in Eorzea, the Gold Saucer features Gold Sauce Active Time Events (GATEs)! These appear randomly in the Gold Saucer allowing players to join these quick and fun little games! For example, Typhon may appear on the field and lock you in place. If you’re unlucky you will be caught in his big sneeze move, and be blown out of the arena! Are you lucky enough to stay on the platform and win some MGP?

Manderville Gold Saucer Rewards

Participating in all of these different games will earn you MGP that will allow you to purchase some awesome prizes like new mounts, outfits, minions and more!

You may recognize this outfit from a certain famous FF gambler!

Overall, this is just the tip of the iceberg! There’s a whole lot to see and do in the Manderville Gold Saucer! If you’re not already a player, check out my last blog post to see how you can utilize the 14-day free trial and join the fun!

See you at the Manderville Gold Saucer!

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/02/24/ffxiv-welcome-to-the-manderville-gold-saucer/feed/15http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/FFXIV.jpg3.85Senior Online Community Manager, Square Enix155Deadman’s Cross Out Today on PS Vitahttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/02/17/deadmans-cross-out-today-on-vita/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/02/17/deadmans-cross-out-today-on-vita/#commentsTue, 17 Feb 2015 14:31:42 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=150063If, one day, 99.9% of humans turned into zombies, what would you do? Deadman’s Cross is a game that depicts such a world.

Hello, my name is Shinichi Tatsuke and I’m a producer at Square Enix. I’d like to introduce Deadman’s Cross, a game that launches today on PlayStation Vita. This zombie card battle RPG recorded 4.7 million downloads worldwide last year. And now, it’s coming to Vita as an enhanced, free-to-play game.

The setting is America in the year 2030. The government suddenly declares martial law in which everyone is restricted from going outside. You break the law and cautiously step outside — what you see is a world overrun with strange creatures called “Deadmen.”

The game is split into two sections: shooting and card battles. In the shooting section, you’ll shoot down Deadman, one after another, as they come after you. You fire away at the Deadmen that emerge in various areas like the town, graveyard, casino, aircraft carrier, and baseball field. In this world, even animals and plants turn into Deadmen. Furthermore, historical figures like Napoleon and Lincoln also appear in-game as Deadmen. You can actually capture the Deadmen you defeat.

What are you going to do… collecting zombies?

Well, the people of this world are into this particular recreation. Even in these desperate times, a TV network looking for business concocted a program that sets Deadmen against one another to fight… and it’s become a huge hit!

People can enter the captured Deadmen into this program to compete. You, too, will soon capture a Deadman, join the fight, and aim for the top spot. These are card-based battles, but the rules are easy to comprehend unlike TCGs — anyone can easily pick up the game.

Other than the battle element, the game comes with an enriching story which tends to be rare for free-to-play games. The girl who lost a companion, the head of the circus troupe who is looking for an animal, the hacker who is trying to uncover the mystery to reviving the Deadmen, and more — the array of unique characters is definitely something to look out for.

The music is by Naoshi Mizuta, a composer on the Final Fantasy series. All the tracks are very stylish and have a fresh feel to them. I personally really like it.

I’ve basically explained everything in one breath, but this should be a new type of game that you have never experienced before in a free-to-play title, nor in a typical console game. I recommend this to all of you who want to continuously defeat zombies, who want to enjoy a variety of zombie illustrations, and who want to experience a zombie story.

Why not enjoy this hopeless world together? We’d love for you to download the game and give it a try.

My name is Matt “Bayohne” Hilton and I’m on the Final Fantasy XIV community team. We’re extremely excited that Part 1 of our latest Patch 2.5, titled “Before the Fall,” is now live! As with each major update, there is a lot of exciting content to tackle and I’d like to introduce PlayStation Blog readers to some of the major points to experience.

First off, if you haven’t seen it, check out the Patch 2.5 – Before the Fall trailer!

We’ve got new dungeons for you and your fellow adventurers to challenge, including the massive “Keeper of the Lake!” Here you’ll be tasked with climbing inside the wreckage of a giant Garlean airship that was destroyed by wyrm lord Midgardsormr. The remains of the wyrm lord are still wrapped around his defeated foe to this day…

The final chapter of the Crystal Tower story also makes its debut and sends players into the World of Darkness, where familiar Final Fantasy bosses await. Will your alliance of 24 adventurers be able to overcome the Cloud of Darkness?

The primal elder Odin has been spotted once more in the Shroud and adventurers have been asked to investigate. You know what that means? It’s time to form a party to try and take him down! This special battle was originally created for our global fan events, but now it’s available for everyone to try — and it’s even harder than before.

Of course, everyone’s favorite Manderville man makes his return as well! Hildibrand — agent of enquiry, inspector extraordinaire — is hot on the trail of the phantom thief and it’s up to you to assist in solving the case! It seems that Gilgamesh has returned with even more arms than before… each wielding a different weapon, too! Maybe we should talk this out???

We’ll also be launching Patch 2.51 in February, featuring the Manderville Gold Saucer! If you’re a Final Fantasy VII fan, you may find a lot of similarities here from the Gold Saucer there! Mini-games, chocobo racing (that you’ll actually control yourself!) and even a full version of the Triple Triad card game from Final Fantasy VIII will be playable! (I can’t wait to spend a ton of time here… fighting bosses and saving the world can wait a bit!)

As I mentioned earlier, this is just a look at “Part 1” of our Patch 2.5 release. Before the Fall Part 2, set to release in March, will conclude the main storyline that began with A Realm Reborn and prepare players for the release of Heavensward, our first expansion!

This is just a brief look at what’s available to play and there is much more waiting for you to experience. What’s that? You don’t currently play FFXIV, but you want to try it out? Well, perfect, because we have a 14-day (get it?) trial available for free on PS4 and PS3! It’s a great opportunity to jump into the realm of Eorzea and take the first steps of your adventure!

Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to start tackling some of this new Patch 2.5 content!

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/01/20/final-fantasy-xiv-patch-2-5-before-the-fall-now-live/feed/30http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/final.jpg3.27Senior Online Community Manager, Square Enix306Final Fantasy Type-0 HD Collector’s Edition Revealedhttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/12/11/final-fantasy-type-0-hd-collectors-edition-revealed/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/12/11/final-fantasy-type-0-hd-collectors-edition-revealed/#commentsFri, 12 Dec 2014 04:30:37 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=146481Good evening, PlayStation.Blog! It’s a little later than we usually post, but we wanted to bring you this bit of news as soon as it broke. Today, er, tonight, we’re happy to announce that Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is getting its very own Collector’s Edition. Available in limited quantities, you can lock in your order on this premium collection of cool stuff now, for $99.99. Ah, but what’s in it, you ask? Well, in industry circles, we call the image below a “beauty shot,” and with good reason! Look upon its majesty.

Let’s discuss what you’re seeing, shall we? We’ll start with the golden Steel Book case, featuring what I personally think is one of long-time Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano’s finest pieces — the goddesses of Orience. On the inside is the Japanese kanji for the game title: 零, or “Rei,” meaning “zero,” and 式, or “shiki,” meaning “type.” We know you guys appreciate authenticity.

The Steel Book holds both the game disc and a 15-track collection of songs hand-picked by the game’s composer, Takeharu Ishimoto. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, he also did the score for Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-, among others. He’s one of my favorite composers in the business right now, and Type-0’s soundtrack is stellar.

Let’s move over to the books. A 200 page manga that takes place alongside that super emotional opening of Type-0, giving you deeper insight into the characters, and next to that, an 80 page art book, featuring the art of some of our most talented artists who worked on this title. The foreword is even written by the game’s director, Hajime Tabata.

Last but not least, five life-size replicas of the iconic cards you’ve seen Ace holding in all our promotional materials. The fronts feature illustrations of the Type-0 Eidolons: Odin, Ifrit, Shiva, Diabolos, and naturally, Bahamut.

If all this stuff wasn’t enough, we’ve even got some neat incentives for you to pre-order this from us at Square Enix — you’ll automatically be entered into a sweepstakes where you could win a Final Fantasy Type-0 custom PS4, an art canvas of Ace, a Vermilion Bird lapel pin that retails for $200… and a whole bunch of runner up prizes, too.

And finally — getting the Collector’s Edition will guarantee your access to the Final Fantasy XV -Episode Duscae- demo. We’ve gotten a lot of questions about this demo, so while I’m here, I’ll drop some knowledge on that too.

First, as Tabata-san said in a recent episode of Square Enix Presents, this demo is exclusive to Final Fantasy Type-0 HD. We’re never going to release it as a stand-alone piece down the line. Secondly, it’s intended to be a special gift for those of you who purchase early — the demo will be limited to the “Day One” edition of the game, meaning that only the first shipment is going to have the demo in it. So if the demo is something you think you might like, we highly encourage you to pre-order or to be quick about getting to the store on launch day, March 17th, 2015.

I’ll close with one more announcement — On January 23rd at 10:00AM Pacific, Tabata-san himself is going to be doing a Final Fantasy Type-0 HD Reddit AMA.

You guys here on PlayStation.Blog have had a lot of great questions that only someone from our development staff would be able to answer, so I definitely want to invite you guys to participate! That said — considering you won’t have gotten a chance to play the Final Fantasy XV demo at that point, we’ll only be taking questions relating to Type-0 HD. But don’t fret! The Final Fantasy XV demo is just the beginning, and we’re looking forward to talking to you more about that when the time comes.

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/12/11/final-fantasy-type-0-hd-collectors-edition-revealed/feed/154http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/fft0hd.jpg2.73Associate Product Marketing Manager, Square Enix15412Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX: New Trailers Show Iconic Worldshttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/11/26/kingdom-hearts-hd-2-5-remix-new-trailers-show-iconic-worlds/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/11/26/kingdom-hearts-hd-2-5-remix-new-trailers-show-iconic-worlds/#commentsWed, 26 Nov 2014 14:00:59 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=145146Hello all. The launch of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX is getting closer by the second — just 6 days! December 1st, we may get a chance to meet a loyal PlayStation fan at the “Inside the Kingdom, with Heart” event in North America, one day before launch. We plan to show this trailer there, so here’s a sneak peek!

Now is a perfect time to showcase moments from Disney as well as Final Fantasy and how the worlds connect between two of entertainment’s most beloved franchises. The magic in Kingdom Hearts is created in so many ways. Have you ever thought about why you became a fan? Disney Worlds Connect proves that if you are a true Disney fan, you are enthralled at the history and story behind every Disney character.

Playing Kingdom Hearts takes me on a journey with countless characters that I grew up loving. Did you catch in the official announcement of these trailers listing vast places to explore? The first trailer will take a glimpse into some Disney moments such as Never Land (Peter Pan), Olympus Coliseum (Hercules), 100 Acre Wood (Winnie the Pooh), Pride Lands (The Lion King), Space Paranoids (Tron), Timeless River (Steamboat Willie), Deep Space (Lilo & Stitch), Port Royal (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl) and more.

Those who know the game well will see that fans will be able to get a glimpse of the cameos from the Final Fantasy franchise, including Setzer (Final Fantasy VI), Aerith, Cloud, and Tifa (Final Fantasy VII), Squall (Final Fantasy VIII), Auron (Final Fantasy X) and more.

Fans can pre-order the Standard Edition of the game at participating retailers to receive a complimentary upgrade to the Limited Edition, which includes the exclusive official Disney collectible pin (while supplies last).

Let us know in the comments below if you’re as excited as we are to start the countdown to launch!

Hi PlayStation.Blog readers! The all-encompassing Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition will be ready for you to play on PS4 starting tomorrow. The amazing team at United Front Games has worked really hard to make this an even better experience on PS4.

For those unfamiliar with what this comes with… well, it comes with everything! All the Sleeping Dogs DLC ever released, including skins and vehicles, and fan favorite levels: Nightmare in North Point, The Zodiac Tournament, and Year of the Snake. And, of course, the game itself has been remastered to take advantage of what PS4 has to offer.

We’re all really excited to bring Sleeping Dogs to PS4, and we hope you guys have as much fun playing it as we had making it. Feel free to post below about anything and everything Sleeping Dogs related. Favorite mission? Costume? Other big Square Enix titles you’re looking forward to? We’d love to hear from you!

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/10/13/sleeping-dogs-definitive-edition-out-tomorrow-on-ps4/feed/41http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/sleepydogs.jpg2.94Product Manager, Square Enix411What’s New in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX?http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/08/28/whats-new-in-kingdom-hearts-hd-2-5-remix/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/08/28/whats-new-in-kingdom-hearts-hd-2-5-remix/#commentsThu, 28 Aug 2014 13:00:11 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=138867One of the most common questions we receive all over the place is “what exactly is new to Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX?”

Well, we’ve made it easy for everyone. In the latest New Features trailer, we highlight a few of the MANY new pieces of content that you all can enjoy on December 2nd.

If you weren’t already looking forward to fighting in Mickey’s house in Timeless River, or lightcycling through Space Paranoids or driving yourself crazy by playing that ice cream mini game in Disney Town in Birth by Sleep… there’s a lot more content to look forward to! Let’s. Get. HYPED!

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX will launch exclusively on PS3 this December 5th. You can pre-order to get a complimentary upgrade to the Limited Edition, which contains the free exclusive Disney collectible pin badge at participating retailers. Pre-order here.

What new feature are you looking forward to the most in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX?